City of Nailyard

It’s hard to call Nailyard a city.

Until 1933 it was really nothing more than a rail yard. Trains came and went, rarely staying for more than an hour.

Then, with the invention of the ball point pen, everything changed. The trains came less often. Crime became the only way to survive for the locals who left their shanties at night to steal whatever they could from the rail cars. Stills popped up everywhere. Education was non-existent.

In 1947, locals began removing the train tracks and melting them to make nails which were then sold to passersby. The region came to be known as Nailyard and was soon supplying two-thirds of all the nails used in Down County (estimated at 200+ per year).

But things grew haphazardly in Nailyard, including the justice system. Even today, a “Kort O’ No Appeals’ presided over by the Exalted Magistrate Luke “Billy Boy” Willadean, is the law of the land. And though his decisions often run counter to accepted practice, few Down County officials have been willing to confront the locals (or even set foot in the town).

There are few other businesses in Nailyard beside making nails, which itself turned sporadic in 2013 as the last of the train rails were removed.

The Kalico Kuntry Kitchen is one exception. As the only restaurant in Nailyard it attracts a fair business. But repeat customers are few and far between, and reviews have been noticeably unsuccessful in reversing that trend. Their New Year celebrations are said to be among the best within two miles.